As Feathers Fall
by ScarpathTheWarrior
Summary: Featherpaw is a young RiverClan apprentice, smart and ready to become a warrior- which is why she knows it's dangerous when she begins meeting ThunderClan apprentice Blackpaw. As this affair reaches new heights of recklessness, Featherpaw and Blackpaw not only endanger themselves, but their own siblings as well. Adopted from Fanfic-To-A-T.
1. Prologue

**The allegiances are in the other story of my profile, OC's Needed! I accidentally deleted the list, but I'll get it up here eventually!**

 **Thank you very much to Fanfic-To-A-T for letting me adopt this story!**

 **Note: this is my first fic, so constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!**

"You're going to risk the lives of two young cats-maybe more-for an _experiment?!"_ a small she-cat hissed. Her speckled brown coat was fluffed up with anger and her green eyes were narrowed. The claws of her forepaws dug into the thick grass. "Are you out of your _mind?"_

From her seated position on a tussock of a grass, a cat with fur the color of flames sighed deeply. She should've known her peer would respond like this. She turned her head to the speckled cat, who was crouched nearby. "Ferndust, I assure you, no harm shall come to these young cats."

"How can you be certain?" Ferndust demanded. She curled her tail, the tip flicking back and forth.

The orange she-cat hesitated. In all honesty, she really didn't know how she could be positive. Yet she held her head high, blue eyes blazing.

"I will watch over them."

"I agree with Ferndust," called a dappled golden-brown she-cat. She shuffled her paws nervously, as though afraid of being punished for speaking. Ferndust now stood.

"Flowerstar, this cannot be allowed," she hissed. "Even Honeyspot agrees with me!" Honeyspot looked to the ground. A small but stocky brown tabby tom weaved his way through the crowd of cats.

"I think it's worth a shot," he said, copper eyes sparkling. He waved his tail excitedly. Ferndust whipped her head to him and flattened her ears.

"Nobody asked for the opinion of a scrawny apprentice," she growled. "Just leave, Trunkpaw." Trunkpaw glared at her defiantly.

"I'm here," he hissed, "and I'm a member of StarClan, I can have an opinion."

Ferndust scoffed. "That doesn't mean you can share it in front of everyone."

Trunkpaw angrily stalked away, shoving his way through the throng. Flowerstar sighed once more. She flicked her ears at a sturdy gray tom and a thick-furred silver she-cat. They nodded and began ushering the others away. Ferndust snarled as they neared her, turning around and walking off with her head and tail held high. Flowerstar watched her leave.

"Thank you Graywood, Willowwater," she murmured. The two cats nodded and then left. Flowerstar was alone. She got up on her paws and trotted to the stream, peering at her reflection. Suddenly the image began to change.

First, there were only blurry outlines, but they slowly formed into to thick, distinct cat shapes. One had blue eyes, one had green. They both had thick black coats. Flowerstar smiled to herself.

These were her two. Two new apprentices that would serve to prove a statement for her.


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I didn't expect so much positive feedback! :DD**

 **QOTC: What are your opinions on the characters so far?**

"C'mon Featherpaw!"

Featherpaw turned at the voice of her sister, Mosspaw. The mottled brown apprentice was impatiently shifting from paw to paw. Excitement made her eyes seem to glow. Featherpaw let out a chuckle. Mosspaw always had been the excitable, eccentric sister.

Featherpaw preferred to think things over before getting excited; taking in information, processing it, and considering outcomes. Mosspaw was more like a beehive; there was always activity and everything moved quickly.

Mosspaw had gotten excited over a simple fishing patrol. Their mentors, Mistyblaze and Willowfrost, were chatting near the entrance of RiverClan's camp. They looked to be in no rush, but Featherpaw knew her sister would pester her until she got up, so she reluctantly rose from her sunning position and stretched.

Having seen her littermate get up, Mosspaw dashed to the entrance, nearly barreling into Mistyblaze. The gray tabby tom chortled, just managing to avoid the rampaging apprentice. As Mosspaw bashfully apologized, Featherpaw went to stand next to Willowfrost.

Mistyblaze beckoned everyone out with his tail, leading the way out of camp. There was a stream not too far from where they were, so Featherpaw was surprised when Mistyblaze and Willowfrost kept walking.

"Are we going to the stream?" Mosspaw asked, tilting her head to the side. Mistyblaze twitched his ears.

"I figured you were tired of hunting the little, easy fish," he said, "so I thought we could try fishing at the lake instead."

The sisters looked at each other excitedly. They had been wanting to fish in the lake. This meant that their fishing must be getting better, since apprentices only got to advance to lake fishing once they were really good at stream fishing.

The journey to the lake was quite peaceful, with a soft breeze stirring leaves and birds chirping. The lake itself was just as serene; a huge body of crystalline water that cast a glare from the sun. Featherpaw widened her eyes. She had been to the lake only once before, and it was evening. That was nothing compared to this.

Willowfrost crouched by the lakebed and began to demonstrate the technique, which was similar to stream fishing. She told them it'd be a different because they needed to stand in the water, since it was deep where the fish were.

As the she-cat led the apprentices into the water, Mistyblaze pricked his ears. The tom suddenly pelted into the lake, making not a sound even though he dashed quicker than a rabbit. He paddled a bit farther than where the she-cats were, to where he had to hold his head up. His chin was under the water.

Willowfrost looked at him, bewildered.

"ThunderClan cats," he hissed. "Duck down so they won't notice you."

They complied, Willowfrost immediately sinking down, while Featherpaw and Mosspaw hesitated before bending their legs slightly so their bodies disappeared underneath the water's surface.

Featherpaw could the intruders now. A black tom with a white chest, a dark gray tabby with white paws, and a brown tom with cream-tipped tail. A smaller cat, most likely an apprentice tagged along with them.

Mistyblaze swam soundlessly behind them.

"Nightstorm is ThunderClan's deputy right now," he said, bubbles forming where his mouth moved. "This must be important." He then stepped out of the water, slinking onto the shore.

"Hey!" he called aggressively. The intruders whipped around, bushing up their fur. The leader, Nightstorm, twitched his tail and the patrol was racing away, dashing to the bend in the lake.

"Cowards!" Mistyblaze caterwauled.

The she-cats slid from the water, shaking moisture from their pelts. Featherpaw sighed as the liquid waterlogged her even after a good shake. Her long coat held a lot of water.

Mistyblaze was grumbling about the patrol, not even bothering to get rid of the water in his fur. His blue eyes were ablaze with fury.

"We must report this to Reedstar at once!" Willowfrost declared. Mistyblaze glanced at Featherpaw and Mosspaw.

"This isn't the first time in recent moons that we've caught ThunderClan sneaking around our territory," he growled. "We must have something they want badly, since they have to go through either ShadowClan or WindClan land to get here." He sighed loudly. "I'm sure Reedstar is going to put all the apprentices through extra combat training those squirrel-munchers are asking for a fight."

 _Combat training?_

Featherpaw waved her tail. She and Mosspaw hadn't had any battle training yet. She couldn't wait! They'd have those bird-brains shaking in their skins once they got ahold of them!

Combat training was _exhausting._ As predicted, as soon as Reedstar heard the news, she ordered every apprentice to have two combat training sessions every day.

Featherpaw's breathing was coming in short bursts. This was her sixth run against Wolfpaw, who was nearly a warrior- he was huge, not to mention well-trained! The mentors-Mistyblaze, Willowfrost, Sunnybreeze, Waspheart, Cloudheart, and Lilysong-relentlessly made her fight against the older apprentice.

Wolfpaw was mentored by Sunnybreeze, RiverClan's deputy. He seemed impossible to beat! He was hardly even breathing hard, while Featherpaw as panting, overheated in her long coat. Mosspaw, Graypaw, Redpaw, and Dewpaw were watching. She couldn't give up now!

Letting out a determined growl, she leapt at Wolfpaw, who smoothly stepped out of the way. As Featherpaw slammed on the ground, Wolfpaw placed a forepaw between hr shoulders and shoved, keeping the lightweight apprentice down. Sunnybreeze called off the scrimmage.

"You're much too small to rush at Wolfpaw like that," Willowfrost chided. "Try using a Leap-And-Hold instead."

Featherpaw nodded as she got up, shaking dust from her coat. Wolfpaw was already stood, blue eyes narrowed.

This time, Featherpaw focused on his back before realizing he'd notice where she was planning to attack. She quickly averted her gaze to his head. Taking a short running start, she pushed off of her hind paws and landed right on top of Wolfpaw. She had done it!

Wolfpaw's pelt was thick and oily, so Featherpaw dug her claws into his fur, making sure they didn't pierce the skin. Her victory was short lived.

Wolfpaw reared up on his hind legs, then threw himself backwards, crushing Featherpaw beneath his weight. She struggler to free herself, but the heavy tom didn't get off until Sunnybreeze instructed him to. Featherpaw spat dirt out of her mouth.

"Good job today," Sunnybreeze said. "It's going to be long, hard training sessions as long as ThunderClan keeps trespassing." A collective groan came from the apprentices. Sunnybreeze narrowed her eyes. "Later, we'll most likely be doing water combat!"

Featherpaw exhaled intensely. This was terrible! On-land battle was awful! How would she survive water fighting?

When the group returned to camp, Featherpaw sank deep into her broad nest to take a nap before their next training session.

 _This had better be worth it,_ she thought.

 _We'll show those stupid ThunderClan cats!_

 **Thanks for reading! See y'all next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello friends! Thank you so much for all the support this story has gotten already! It really means a lot to me! :')**

 **Review replies:**

 **Raven that flies at night: I sure hope that this chapter is as interesting as the last!**

 **Guest: :)**

 **J.R Madsen: Thank you so much! It's amazing to know that the writing style is enjoyable! I may put in a "special" chapter with Blackpaw's point of view, but other than that, it will be only Featherpaw :)**

 **Guest: They're gonna start showin' 'em quite soon ;)**

 **QOTC: Do you have a favorite character yet? If so, who, and why?**

 **Also, Featherpaw's and Mosspaw's parents are Foxwing and Otterclaw :)**

Featherpaw trudged into the apprentices' den, tail muddied and dragging on the ground. Reedstar was sticking with her order of two training sessions a day, and the extra work was taking its toll. While the older apprentices like Wolfpaw and his siblings took the added load like it was a kit's challenge, Mosspaw and Featherpaw were going to sleep every night exhausted and waking up the next morning with sore muscles and foggy minds.

The extra training had been going on for nearly half a moon, and the tension was noticeable. The warriors didn't say anything to Mosspaw or Featherpaw, but everyone saw it. Often times, when the apprentices returned from an intense training session, their Clanmates were doing things like subtly placing thorns in the reeds surrounding camp where an intruder wouldn't see them or digging foxholes behind every den. They were preparing for battle.

And Reedstar had announced just yesterday that in addition to two battle training sessions and the standard one, maybe two, fishing patrols, everyone was going to have a mandatory conditioning session, everyone including the elders, the medicine cat, even Reedstar herself.

"We have to be able to keep up during battle," Reedstar had said.

Conditioning was even worse than training in Featherpaw's opinion. They ran laps around camp, did stretches, and carried rocks in their mouths while walking. Some had even started using low hanging tree branches to strengthen their legs. Featherpaw had seen them. They'd climb a few pawsteps of the trunk, then grip onto a thick branch with their forepaws. They would swing in the air for a few heartbeats before using nothing but their forelegs to hoist themselves up on top of the branch.

Even Silverfrost, a heavily pregnant queen, was joining in. She dragged dry, cracked reeds and wove them into the walls of dens. She helped Rosepetal collect herbs.

Featherpaw hadn't gone to the lake since Mistyblaze confronted that ThunderClan patrol. None of the apprentices could go out there. The entire Clan was on high alert.

"Do you think Reedstar will mention ThunderClan's trespassing?"

Featherpaw jolted at the voice. She didn't recognize it. She turned to see Wolfpaw staring at her intently, waiting for a response.

Featherpaw had never heard Wolfpaw speak. He just nodded his head, waved his tail, twitched his ears. His voice was quite deep. Featherpaw realized that the dark tabby was still waiting for her reply.

"I-I don't know," she said, wincing internally as she heard herself stammer. Wolfpaw dipped his head and spoke again.

"Your combat skills are really improving. You've really been utilizing your Leap-And-Hold well."

"Oh-I um...thanks," Featherpaw mewed quietly.

The two sat in silence for awhile before Wolfpaw stood up. He flicked his tail, and following the motion Featherpaw saw that the Gathering cats were preparing to leave. Of course Wolfpaw was going. Being the deputy's apprentice, he went to nearly every Gathering.

"Goodbye," Featherpaw murmured.

* * *

Featherpaw had been in a restless sleep when the Gathering cats returned. What woke her up was the stench. The entire camp reeked of fury.

As she stepped out, cats were gathering around Reedstar. Their leader had to muscle her way through the mob to stand before the Clan and speak.

"ThunderClan has threatened to attack WindClan if WindClan does not surrender the forested part if their territory!"

Shrieks and yowls came from the crowd. Reedstar raised her tail for silence.

"I have no idea why Deadstar is doing this. ThunderClan has always been a respectful Clan. We don't know if Cloudstar made her angry or not."

Featherpaw kneaded her paws into the ground. She sensed another cat sitting beside her, and turned to see Wolfpaw. His dark blue eyes were smoldering with anger.

"A ThunderClan apprentice was trying to stir up a fight," he told her tensely.

Featherpaw's eyes widened. "At the _Gathering?"_

Wolfpaw nodded. They turned their attention back to Reedstar.

"Everyone, please stay on watch. It's only a matter of time before ThunderClan sets their sights on us."

As soon as Reedstar finished speaking, the Clan heard a bloodcurdling shriek from far away. WindClan.

"WindClan is being attacked!" yowled Troutsplash.

"We can't leave them to fight on their own!" called Foxwing, shouldering her way to the front of the group. Her eyes were filled with concern. Reedstar nodded without hesitation.

"Sunnybreeze, Mistyblaze, Foxwing, Otterclaw, Willowfrost, Wolfpaw, Graypaw, and Redpaw, get to WindClan as fast as possible!"

Featherpaw sucked in a deep breath as both of her parents were called for battle. Sunnybreeze quickly assembled the fighting patrol, and then they were gone. Featherpaw closed her eyes.

 _StarClan, please watch over my parents and make sure they return home safely._

Now there was nothing left to do but wait.

* * *

Featherpaw was unable to go back to sleep, filled to the brim with worry. Even Mosspaw was silent, continuously scratching at the fronds of her nest, scattering feathers everywhere. Dewpaw was constantly going in and out of the den, checking for any new developments.

The only sound was the barrage of shrieks and screams from one territory over. Every yowl sent a pinprick of cold, icy fear through Featherpaw's body. Her Clanmates were getting hurt! Once again, she burrowed deep into her nest, covering her ears with her paws. Amazingly, this time she managed to fall asleep.

* * *

The worried meows of cats shook Featherpaw from her slumber. She groggily padded from den, blearily blinking sleep from her eyes. Something was wrong.

Foxwing was slowly walk on at the end of group, in front of only Mistyblaze, who was carrying someone on his back. When the reddish tabby saw her daughter, she ran and nearly collapsed in front of her.

"Featherpaw, Mosspaw," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

Featherpaw was confused, and could tell that Mosspaw, who had apparently finally left the den, was bewildered as well. Then Mistyblaze caught their attention by laying down the body he held.

Patchy black fur, a long, thick pelt, large paws.

 _No._

Wide blue eyes, glazing over.

 _Oh StarClan, no._

A body frozen, muscles stiff.

 _"Otterclaw!"_


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm a terrible person, someone cuff me over the ears.**

 **Thank you so much to anyone who is sticking through the lack of updates!**

 **Review Replies**

 **Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you like it :D**

 **Guest: Awww thanks! And it is hard to choose a favorite, isn't it?**

 **Raven that flies at night: Otterclaw, interesting. And yeah, Wolfpaw is a bit mysterious, isn't he?**

 **Willowspring1: Muahahahaha :)**

 **J. R. Marsden: I always look forward to your reviews! Thank you for the tips, and I'm glad you've been waiting for more! Reedstar is kinda strict, huh? And no problem! Your writing is great!**

 **Guest: I agree, Mistyblaze is a great cat**

 **EmberskyofShadowClan: aggh thank you! I'm working on getting the chapters longer, thought this one definitely doesn't show it! That was my intention for Featherpaw, glad it's working out! Well, here's that update!**

 **QOTC:**

 **What is up with Wolfpaw?**

Featherpaw crouched by her father, desperately pawing at his fur. He couldn't be dead! He had a long life ahead of him.

His fur was torn in clumps around several areas of his body, especially around his shoulders. A huge gash stretched from his left shoulder to the base of his tail. His ears were shredded and one hind paw was twisted and bleeding.

As she leaned over him, Featherpaw noticed a miniscule detail. Otterclaw's chest was just barely rising, in short, heavy bursts-he was alive!

"Rospetal!" she called. "Please come quickly-Otterclaw is alive!"

The patched she-cat dashed from where she had been tending to a bite wound on Redpaw's forepaw. She sniffed Otterclaw's body, gently nosing him so she could see the wound more clearly.

"I can't risk moving him to my den," Rosepetal said to Reedstar, who had joined the crowd that was anxiously watching. "He may bleed out." She turned to Featherpaw and the rest of the apprentices. "Whoever is not injured, go grab moss from my den."

Featherpaw, along with Mosspaw, Wolfpaw, and Dewpaw, dashed to the medicine den. Having been there several times already to collect or deposit moss for the elders, the group already knew where the moss was stored-a small gap in the reeds that concealed a dip.

The four apprentices grabbed as much moss as they could, holding in their mouths, tucking it under their chins, and even grasping it in one forepaw.

When they had all collected plenty of springy moss, they went back to the clearing as fast as they could on three paws.

Rosepetal didn't even utter a word of thanks when they dropped the moss by her, but they didn't mind. The medicine cat was focused on Otterclaw. She took some moss and nudged it under Otterclaw's shoulder, then scooped up some cobwebs left over from the other cats she'd tended too so far. Delicately, she pressed the heap of cobweb into Otterclaw's gash, attempting to soak up the blood.

Foxwing went to stand by her daughters, looking at Rosepetal pleadingly.

"It's up to StarClan," she murmured. She cast a grave glance to Otterclaw's family. "His chance of surviving a wound like that? Even with all the marigold in the world, he'd have a small chance of living."

Foxwing turned to her daughters. "Let's pray for Otterclaw," she murmured, getting choked up. Featherpaw peered up, determined. Her father was going to live, she knew it!

A few days later, Rosepetal had deemed it safe to move Otterclaw to her den. He was still in bad condition-barely conscious, feverish, and his wound appeared to be infected. Rosepetal's prognosis remained bleak. Foxwing was spending most of her time by her mate, while Featherpaw and Mosspaw had to train.

Their training was as rigorous as ever. Nobody wanted to take a chance after that scary attack.

One day, during combat training, Wolfpaw let out a growl.

"Who do ThunderClan think they are," he snarled, "always demanding peace and justice, then attacking another Clan out of the blue?" His eyes slid to Featherpaw.

All of the other apprentices, aside from Featherpaw, yowled in agreement.

"Surely the attack wasn't out of the blue," she offered. "From what I've heard, Deadstar is a thoughtful, well-oriented cat. She must've had reason for the attack."

Wolfpaw hissed, "Well, she didn't say anything except for that nonsense about her whiny, kittypet-loving Clan needing more space!"

Featherpaw narrowed her eyes. "Exactly! Deadstar is just trying to do what is best for her Clan. Isn't that a leader's job?" she said, stalking up to face Wolfpaw, glaring up at him. He scoffed, turning away from her disgust.

When she backed down, Featherpaw realized that this was the most she'd ever heard Wolfpaw talk. As she whipped around to demand an explanation, she saw that Wolfpaw had already retreated toward his mentor.

 _Whatever,_ she thought. _I'll ask later...if he doesn't bite my head off first_

That evening, Featherpaw walked over to Wolfpaw, who was eating by himself. Mustering up all of her courage, she spoke.

"What's your problem?" she blurted out. Wolfpaw jolted.

"Excuse me?"

Swallowing any fear, Featherpaw continued.

"I said 'what's your problem?'. You're always silent, but when the chance to belittle me or anyone else comes along, you don't shut up!"

Wolfpaw flattened his ears, standing so he towered over the much younger apprentice. "Quit acting like you know everything," he hissed. "When I talk or what I talk about is none of your business, okay?" He stalked off, leaving his half-eaten meal.

Featherpaw sighed. She had just wanted to know if something was wrong. Sure, he had been a bit blunt, but Wolfpaw didn't have to overreact like that!

After discarding of Wolfpaw's uneaten fish, Featherpaw figured she should get some sleep, but not before visiting her father.

When she entered the den, she saw that her mother and sister were already by her father's side.

"How is he?" Featherpaw asked, sliding in between Foxwing and Mosspaw.

"Not so good," Foxwing answered worriedly. "Rosepetal says that the infection is getting worse. None of her herbs are working."

Alarm raced through Featherpaw's body. Otterclaw had to live!

"Does she think he'll die?" she said meekly. Foxwing glanced at her before closing her eyes. That was all the answer Featherpaw needed. 

Featherpaw had trouble getting to sleep that night. Concern for her father coursed through her every heartbeat, and Wolfpaw's stony silence was unsettling.

 _StarClan, please let my father survive._

 **I am VERY sorry that this has taken so long to get updated! I've recently gotten a spark of motivation and inspiration again, so hopefully there won't be any more horrific gaps like that!**

 **Also, I have started a new series called _SkyClan's Return._ The allegiances and prologue of the first book are up, and chapter 1 is in progress! It would mean a lot if you would check it out!**

 **Until next time, arrivederci!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Howdy friends! While y'all are reading this chapter, Chapter 5 will be in the works!**

 **Review Replies**

 **Guest: awww I'm glad you like it :D**

 **EmberskyofShadowClan: woah! You could write your own crazy story with that plot! We'll see how much of that is true ;)**

 **GlassEasyToBreakHardToFix: yay :DD**

 **Raven that flies at night: you're about to find out my friend!**

 **Fanfic-To-A-T: thank you so much! I'm glad you gave this story to me too! Oops, thanks for pointing that out! Well...you'll find out Otterclaw's fate in this chappie ;) and Blackpaw? Well...NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **QOTC(2 this chapter!)**

 **1\. What are some words that you would say to Otterclaw?**

 **2\. What do you think will happen at the next Gathering?**

Featherpaw carefully maneuvered her way around the other apprentices in the den, taking especially cautious action to avoid Wolfpaw. The sturdy tom had been ignoring her for the past few days since their altercation, and at this point, Featherpaw couldn't be bothered to deal with the brooding cat. She was much more focused on her training and her father's recovery.

Or lack thereof.

Otterclaw wasn't getting better. His wound was swollen, and Rosepetal was constantly cleaning pus out of the horrific gaping cut. Mosspaw couldn't even bear to witness it. She always had her face buried in Featherpaw's or Foxwing's pelt. One day the mottled brown she-cat broke the silence.

"He's going to die, isn't he?"

Featherpaw whipped around, eyes wide. How could Mosspaw say such a thing? Surely, Otterclaw's recovery was just taking a longer time than usual, right?

"I'm afraid so."

Featherpaw jumped when she heard Rosepetal's reply. The patched cat limped over to her nest, sighing and gazing at Otterclaw mournfully.

"What?" gasped Foxwing, jostling Mosspaw as she stood. "Can't you do something more to save him? Isn't that your duty?"

Rosepetal ducked her head, shyly answering, "My duty is to help those of my Clan to the best of my ability." She lifted her head, then closed her eyes and murmured, "But this is out of my reach." Opening her eyes, she added, "StarClan is waiting for him."

Foxwing sat back on her haunches with an audible thump, stirring up dust, while Mosspaw slowly sank to the floor, burying her head in her paws. Featherpaw stared at the ground, blinking and unblinking her eyes.

"I'm very sorry," Rosepetal consoled.

None of the shocked she-cats responded.

Featherpaw's and Mosspaw's training was compromised. They fumbled on easy catches while fishing, made clumsy splashes while practicing stealth, and couldn't land a single hit in combat training.

Their mentors were trying their hardest to not get angry at the apprentices, but it was difficult. The two young she-cats were taking huge strides backwards.

"That's it," Mistyblaze sighed after the sisters had crashed into each other while training. "Featherpaw, Mosspaw, I understand you're in a tough spot right now, but you will never become warriors at this rate!"

Mosspaw flinched, but Featherpaw held her head high. She had been expecting this.

"We'll try harder, Mistyblaze," she said.

Graypaw let out a scoff, prompting Wolfpaw to cuff his brother over the ear. The gray tom glared at the dark tabby, who returned his look with stony silence.

"No need to be rude, Graypaw," Sunnybreeze scolded. Graypaw flattened his ears, muttering a halfhearted apology under his breath. Dewpaw and Redpaw watched the exchange with amused looks.

"Now," said Mistyblaze, turning to Featherpaw and Mosspaw, "if you want to get yourselves back on the right track, you're going to have to apply all of your focus." The tabby tom lifted his head. "There is no room for silly errors anymore. We've been allowing you two to slip for too long."

Featherpaw took the blow with a straight face, listening to what the senior warrior was telling her. Blinking determinedly, the tiny tabby launched herself back into training with a newfound spark of motivation.

Following that spark, it seemed as though Featherpaw was always training. When she wasn't visiting her father or sleeping, she was conditioning, practicing battle moves, or fishing in the small streams near the RiverClan camp. Every day, Featherpaw woke up a little bit stronger.

The opposite was true of Otterclaw. With each passing sunrise and sunset, his breathing got a tad shallower, his movements a bit smaller. The horrific gash worsened, pulling Otterclaw's skin taut and filling up with pus, no matter how much Rosepetal did to stop it.

On this day, almost a half-moon since the Gathering and attack, the she-cats' vigil over Otterclaw was interrupted by a grim-faced Reedstar.

Otterclaw was hardly breathing at all, and the infection was much worse than it was even yesterday.

"Rosepetal tells me that his time is near," Reedstar explained flatly. "I wanted to offer my condolences." She sat down next to Featherpaw.

"Otterclaw was a great warrior, you know," she started. "He always was a bit quiet, but he was courageous, skilled, and smart, which I now see in you two, his daughters."

Featherpaw tensed listening to her leader talk about her father like he was already dead.

"I had considered making him deputy," Reedstar continued, "but he came to me and said he didn't want the position, at least not while he was so young."

That caught Featherpaw's attention. Her father could've been deputy? Could've been _leader?_

"It's saddening to see such a good cat gone so soon," Reedstar finished. She stood over Otterclaw's nearly still body. "Farewell, and be safe on your journey to StarClan," she murmured, then touching her nose to Otterclaw's forehead. The leader exited the den, leaving only three mourning she-cats and depressing silence.

It was later that day, after a rigorous training session and a few laps around the camp, that Rosepetal called Foxwing, Mosspaw, and Featherpaw back into her den.

The medicine cat told them, "His time is near. I think it would be less cruel of a death if we induced his passing."

Foxwing was blazing. "You're asking me to let you kill my mate? Are you _crazy_?"

"I'm asking you to send him off so he won't suffer," Rosepetal responded softly.

"I think we should do it," Featherpaw offered. "I don't want him to die in pain."

Foxwing considered this, exhaling heavily. "What would you do?" she finally asked.

"I'd let you say your goodbyes first, of course," Rosepetal said. "Afterwards, I'd give him poppy seeds, enough to send him into a deep sleep. Then, I would feed him deathberries."

"Deathberries?" Foxwing gasped in disbelief.

"He wouldn't be in pain," Rosepetal assured. "The poppy seeds will send him to unconsciousness. He won't feel a thing, but the poisons will kill him."

Foxwing slowly raised her head. "Okay," she murmured. "Go ahead."

Rosepetal dipped her head. "Thank you. I'll go see the elders about preparing a vigil." She then left.

Of course, Featherpaw took her sadness and put it into her training. Suddenly, she could easily grab hold of Graypaw, successfully dodge Dewpaw, and catch more fish than Wolfpaw. Willowfrost took notice, as well as the other mentors.

The vigil and passing of Otterclaw was to be held tomorrow at sunhigh. Featherpaw was dreading the moment, but she knew it was best for her father. She didn't want him to be in pain.

While Featherpaw was trying to teach Mosspaw how to sweep out an enemy's legs from underneath them(to no avail), Willowfrost called her over, excitement and pride showing in her eyes.

"Featherpaw," she said softly once the black tabby had come to her, "Reedstar has taken note of your progress." The striped warrior's tailtip twitched. She leaned closer to her apprentice. "She has allowed you to come to the next Gathering!"

Featherpaw's eyes widened. Willowfrost laid her tail over Featherpaw's shoulders, whispering, "I know you've been going through a hard time. I'm very proud of you."

Featherpaw was beaming, glad to have something to distract herself from the impending death of her father. Her first Gathering!

 _This is just what I need!_

 ** _As always, thanks for reading! See you soon!_**


End file.
